Get your fix
TAMPA BAY COFFEE
Tampa Bay has gained a national reputation for its booming craft beer business. Lately, craft cocktails at places like Edison: Food+Drink Lab and Cru Cellars have begun to catch the public taste buds. But there's another drink that Tampa Bay takes pride in: coffee. Maybe it's our century-plus of Cuban history laced with cafe con leché, or it could be the all-nighters pulled by our growing tech start ups. Either way, locally roasted hand-crafted coffee is taking its place among Tampa Bay's favorite drinks. Here's where you can find the best:
Oxford Exchange
A century ago, this building was the livery for the former Tampa Bay Hotel across the street. Today, the hotel with its striking silver minarets is part of the University of Tampa. And the livery is now Oxford Exchange, a unique destination mixing a boutique housewares shop, book store, restaurant and Warby Parker eyeglass outlet. In the center of it all sits a high-ceilinged coffee and tea bar serving Buddy Brew. From breakfast through lunch, Oxford Exchange is the see-and-be-seen scene in downtown.
Blind Tiger
📍 : 201 N Franklin St #200 (Downtown)
📍 : 1823 E 7th Ave. (Ybor)
Back in the days of Prohibition, "blind tiger" was code for an illegal saloon -- a speakeasy. The owners of Blind Tiger chose its name as a shout-out to Ybor City's history as a notorious haven of gambling, bootlegging and vice during the 1920s and 1930s -- the story told in Ben Affleck's film "Live by Night." Ybor City is much tamer these days. Rather than gun-toting bootleggers, this Blind Tiger is home to a co-work space loaded with laptop-toting tech workers.
Café Quiquiriqui
📍 : 1402 E 7th Ave.
Sip a Cuban coffee or a café con leche. Snack on empanadas, pastelitos, paninis or their “El Cubano.” Cool off after a day in the Florida sun with a refreshing bottled juice. Settle in and work remotely from their cozy corner café on 7th Ave in Ybor City.
Kahwa
📍 : 808 N Tampa St.
Want a huge cookie that's also super health and veg-friendly? You've come to the right place. Kahwa's downtown location is in the 36-story Element residential tower at Tampa Street and Polk Street. The cafe includes a larger circular bar and huge windows. On our 200+ sunny days, you'll find plenty of customers seating out front watching the world go by.
Caffeine
Located on Kennedy Boulevard, 5 minutes from the University of Tampa, Caffeine offers everything from pastries to signature drinks in a cozy shop. One specialty is the orange cold brew, a classic cold brew coffee with orange slices. It's guaranteed to refresh and re-energize you. Caffeine also has the perfect ambiance for anyone looking to catch up on email or squeeze out a little work on their tablet. A lounge area with sofas in the back made a comfy conversation pit.
Buddy Brew
Downtown's hippest hangout for coffee lovers. The recently expanded store sits a few blocks from the University of Tampa and draws an eclectic crowd. The coffee roasted on site percolates through many other establishments in town, but this where things start. You'll find other Buddy Brew spots at Tampa International Airport and Hyde Park Village shopping district along with Park Tower in the heart of downtown.
King Corona
📍 : 1523 E 7th Ave.
You'll recognize this Ybor City landmark by the large koffee klatsch going on pretty much all day on the covered patio in front of the shop. This is where Tampa Bay solves all the problems of the world, sometimes in English but more likely in Cuban-inflected Spanish.
Any Cigar Store
Cafe con leche has been a staple of Tampa Bay's coffee culture since the first Cuban cigar workers arrived in Ybor City more than 130 years ago. The mix of strong coffee and sweet milk is an eye-opening experience that will fuels many a late night on Seventh Avenue.